Garment support



July 26, 1966 A. J. PANEPINTO GARMENT SUPPORT Filed Dec. 26, 1961 United States Patent f 3,262,130 GARMENT SUPPORT Anthony J. Panepinto, 787 Busti Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. r4213 Filed Dec. 26, I961, Ser. No. 162,160 Claims. (Cl. 2301) This application is in part a continuation of application Serial No. 43,915, filed July 16, 1960, now Patent No. 3,052,891.

This invention relates to novel garment supporting means. The inventive concept of this invention resides in a novel and unique support arrangement providing in the same garment support a pair of suspenders and two waist belts.

In said patent a trouser supporting means convertible from a pair of suspenders to two waist belts was disclosed. The present invention provides a similar support having therein various novel arrangements. The support comprises in combination two shoulder straps, a removable strap retaining means for retaining said straps in position, and clasp members positioned at each end of said straps. While in said patent the buckle portion of the belt is formed by a connecting means joining two clasp members, this invention provides a novel means for forming the belt buckle.

One variation of this invention comprises a convertible suspender-belt support having two mating clasps, one clasp comprises a toothed jaw portion with a slot means positioned on the upper jaw portion. The slot is recessed and is positioned on any portion of the upper jaw portion of said clasp. The slot may be situated directly on the upper jaw portion of the clasp or may be situated on a third upper clamping member which is positioned directly over said upper jaw portion. The other of said mating clasps comprises a jaw portion having an extending portion extending beyond the toothed jaw portion of said clasp. This extending portion is in the form of a tapered hook adapted to fit into the recessed slot of the other clasp. Again, this extending portion may be directly on the upper jaw portion of the clasp or may be on a third upper clamping member which is positioned directly over said upper jaw portion.

Another concept of this invention resides in a convertible suspender-belt support having a clasp arrangement wherein both clasps have in their upper portions slotted members. A connecting buckle having hook-shaped portions on both ends adapted to fit in each of said slotted members in both of said clasps is here provided.

A further modification of this invention provides a convertible suspender-belt support wherein conventional clasps without any slots, extensions or connecting means may be used together with a connecting buckle which when the structure of this invention is used as a belt fits over and connects both clasps.

Other modifications of this invention will become apparent upon a further reading of this disclosure. As disclosed in said Patent No. 3,052,891 single clasping means consisting merely of using one suspender clasp to clamp on the opposite end of the suspender strap may be used. To use this modification at least one of the clasps must be removable from the strap; the unremoved clasp then is clamped on the strap at the point where the other clasp had been removed. Any conventional type of suspender strap adjuster may be used together with the above disclosed supports.

Further modifications and objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing. It should be further understood that the drawing is meant only to illustrate and not limit the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the general structure of this invention.

3,252,130 Patented July 25, 1966 FIGURE 2 shows a perspective view of one modificatron of the clasps used with the suspender-belt support of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 of the clamping portion of a clasp shown in FIFGURE 2.

FIGURES 4 and 5 now perspective views of the parts of a second modification of the clasp used with the suspender-belt portion of this invention.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a perspective view of a third modification of a clasp structure used with the suspenderbelt support of this invention.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a further arrangement of this invention.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the suspenders or supporting means of this invention comprises shoulder straps 1, removable connecting or strap retaining means 2, suspender clasps 3 on one end of each of the shoulder straps and suspender clasps 4 on the opposite end. The clasps are shown in this figure as having hook and slot portions on opposite ends; however, FIGURES 2, 4, and 6 show various modifications in these clasps. The structure shown in FIGURE 3, however, is the preferred embodiment. When connecting or retaining means 2 is removed, suspender straps 1 are converted into two belts which may be worn around the waist to support trousers, skirts or the like. At the opposite ends of straps 1 are found two clasps which form both the clasps or clips for supsender wear and the buckle portions when the suspenders are converted into two waist belts. Clasps 3 and 4 will be specifically defined with reference to the illustrations in FIGURE 2, 4 and 6. On both straps are found conventional sliding, length adjusting means 5. It is, of course, unnecessary to use any adjusting means if the straps 1 are elastic or if no adjusting means are desired. The adjuster disclosed in copending application Serial Number 41,652 filed July 8, 1960, now abandoned, in the United States Patent Office is preferred for use in this invention. Connecting means 2 may be of any desired form, as long as the two straps are held together by and easily removed from it. It may be a metal, leather or cloth structure. In the preferred embodiment illustrated connecting means 2 is removable merely by sliding straps 1 through slits 6.

FIGURE 2 shows a close-up view of the preferred embodiment of this invention. Clasp 3 comprises a saw tooth portion made up of upper jaw portion 8 and lower jaw portion 7. A clamping portion 9 overlaps and covers upper jaw portion 8 and has positioned therein a slot 10. The slot may be located on any part of said clamping portion such as shown in dotted portion 11. Although it is preferred to have a clamping portion 9, it would not depart from this invention to put the slot directly in upper jaw portion 8. Clasp 4 comprises a three piece structure, lower jaw portion 12, upper jaw portion 13, and clamping portion 14. Clamping portion 14, as shown in FIGURE 3, has thereon an extending hook portion 15 which is adapted to fit into and lock with slot 10. Hook portion 15 may be tapered so as to fit into a narrower slot 10. The illustrated hook and slot members are merely shown to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. Applicant has encompassed in his invention various means of locking the two strap ends. To name a few that may be used in place of the illustrated hook-slot means are: snapping means, single clasping means such as the clasps shown, the cord means, hookloop means, belt buckle means, clamping means, lacing means, groove and prong means, and slip-clasping means similar to a tie clasp. The above mentioned single clasping rneans consists of merely using the suspender clasp to clamp on the opposite end of the suspender strap. The single clasp would then act as the belt buckle.

FIGURE 4 shows two clasps identical to that clasp 3 defined in the above discussion referring to FIGURE 2. The slots again may be positioned on either clam-ping portion 9 or upper jaw portion S. Clasp connector 16, shown in FIGURE 5, is adapted to fit over both clasps and connects both clasps together. End hook portions 17 on connector 16 are adapted to fit into and lock with slots 10 of both clasps. The position of the slots on the face of element 8 or 9 may be varied to any desired position.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an alternate method of forming a belt buckle from clasps 3 and 4. Rather than clasp connector 18 fitting into slots as in FIGURE 4, it simply slides over both clasps 3 and 4 and securely holds them in position. The illustration shows connector 18 with grooves on both sides; although this is the preferred embodiment, it is possible to design connector 18 in various other forms; for example the connector 18 may take the shape of connector 16 shown in FIGURE 4. Also, the connector 18 may completely encircle the clasps 3 and 4 and fit around the clasps to form a belt buckle. Grooves 19 similar to those illustrated in the drawing may be used in this type of connector. End hook portions 20 and 21 could also merely be extended to touch each other. In this arrangement conventional clasps without any slots or extensions may be utilized.

By providing removable clasps a further modification of this invention is apparent. If, for example (after element 2 in FIGURE 1 is detached from straps 1) clasp 3 was removable from strap 1, clasp 4 could then be secured to that bare end of the strap thereby forming a waist belt.

A further modification of this invention 'would be to have on each of clasps 3 and 4 interlocking hooks similar to that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 at 15. One hook would be the reverse of the other thereby fitting into one another to lock both ends of the strap together.

Although all the clasp .arrangements are shown with teeth, it would not depart firom the spirit of this invention to use clasps without teeth, or have the upper or lower with teeth and the other (lower or upper) without teeth. Also, both two part clasps (without a clamping member, as shown in FIGURE 2 at 14) and three or four part olasps may be used. It is also conceivable that the clasp can be stamped into a one-piece complete member.

FIGURE 7 shows a close-up view of a further modification of this invention. Clasp 21 is removable from strap 1 by any desired means. Illustrated is a preferred removable means 22 which comprises a slip-grip where resilient element 23 is in contact with element 24 to form a strap lock. When it is desired to remove clasp 21 from strap 1 all that is required is that resilient element 23 be pulled away from element 24 in a manner to cause an opening or space between the two elements. Strap 1 is then slipped through said space. Although the specific slip-grip embodiment is preferred, other removable means are considered to be encompassed within the spirit of this invention.

Strap 1 is then inserted into and between open jaws 25 and 26, said jaws are then closed or locked to hold strap 1 therein. Clasp 27 thereby acts as a belt buckle when said structure is-used as a belt.

Many other modifications and ramifications of this invention will become apparent to those reading this disclosure, these are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A combined suspender-belt support means adapted to be converted into two waist belts, comprising in combination two shoulder straps, removable means for retaining said straps in position, trouser clasp members positioned at each end of said straps, and a clasp-connecting member, at least two of said clasp members consisting of an inner toothed jaw portion and an outer slotted member, said slotted member extending to substantially the same length as said inner jaw member of said clasp and adapted to receive and lock with said clasp connecting member, said clasp connecting member having on its opposite ends hook members adapted to fit into said slotted members and lock said clasps together when used as a belt.

2. A combined suspender-belt support means adapted for use as a pair of suspenders and convertible into two waist belts comprising in combination two shoulder straps, removable means retaining said straps in position, strap adjusting means, trouser clasp members positioned at each end of said straps, and a clasp connector, said clasp members comprising an apertured upper member having in its inner face a toothed jaw portion, said apertured upper member having substantially the same measurements as the inner face member, a lower clasp member having on its inner face a toothed jaw portion adapted to form a grip with said upper member, said apertured member adapted to receive and lock with said clasp connecting member, said clasp connecting member having on its opposite end portions hook members adapted to fit into said apertured members and lock said clasps together when used as a belt.

3. A combined Suspender-belt support means adapted to be converted into two waist belts comprising in combination two shoulder straps, removable means joining said straps intermediate their ends for holding them in position, trouser clasps positioned at each end of each of said straps, means detachably engageable with each of said clasps on the ends of one of said straps to lock said clasps together to form a belt, slot means formed on the exterior face of each of said clasps, said engageable means having inturned engaging portions at opposite ends thereof adapted to removably engage said slots.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 in which each of said clasps comprises an upper jaw portion and said slots are provided therein.

5. A device as defined in claim 3 in which each of said clasps comprises a clamping member in which said slots are provided.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 957,117 5/1910 Snow 2327 X 2,587,126 2/ 1952 Ellington 2301 2,777,134 1/1957 Kaufman 2--30l FOREIGN PATENTS 7,802 1838 Great Britain.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, JORDAN FRANKLIN,

Examiners.

M. J. COLITZ, G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A COMBINED SUPENDER-BELT SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONVERTED INTO TWO WAIST BELTS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION TWO SHOULDER STRAPS, REMOVABLE MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID STRAPS IN POSITION, TROUSER CLASP MEMBERS POSITIONED AT EACH END OF SAID STRAPS, AND A CLASP-CONNECTING MEMBER, AT LEAST TWO OF SAID CLASP MEMBERS CONSISTING OF AN INNER TOOTHED JAW PORTION AND AN OUTER SLOTTED MEMBER, SAID SLOTTED MEMBER EXTENDING TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH AS SAID INNER JAW MEMBER OF SAID CLASP AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND LOCK WITH SAID CLASP CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID CLASP CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING ON ITS OPPOSITE ENDS HOOK MEMBERS ADAPTED TO FIT INTO SAID SLOTTED MEMBERS AND LOCK SAID CLASPS TOGETHER WHEN USED AS A BELT. 